Joseph Palmer Abbott KCMG MLA (1842 - 1901)

Born 29 Sep 1842 in Muswellbrook, New South Wales (Australia)

Ancestors

Husband of Matilda Elizabeth (McCartney) Abbott — married 23 Dec 1873 in West Maitland, New South Wales, Australia

Husband of Edith (Solomon) Abbott — married 1 Mar 1883 in East Maitland, New South Wales, Australia

Died 15 Sep 1901 at age 58 in Turramurra, New South Wales, Australia

Biography

Joseph Abbott KCMG MLA is Notable.

Joseph Abbott KCMG MLA was born in the Colony of New South Wales (1788-1900)

This profile is part of the Gunnedah, New South Wales One Place Study.

Joseph Palmer Abbott, the eldest son of Frances Amanda Abbott and John Kingsmill Abbott, was born on 29 September 1842 at Muswellbrook, New South Wales, Australia. ^[1][2]

He married Matilda Elizabeth Macartney on 23 December 1873. ^[3]
MARRIAGES.
On the 23rd instant, at St. Mary's Church, West Maitland, by the Rev. Robert Chapman, JOSEPH PALMER ABBOTT, of Murrurundi, to ELIZABETH, eldest daughter of the late Dr. MACARTNEY.^[4] Their children were:^[2]

• John Henry Macartney Abbott (1874–1953)
• Frances Amanda Abbott (1876–1935)
• Macartney Abbott (1877–1960)

He was a NSW politician who first represented the District of Gunnedah between November 1880 and February 1887, and subsequently represented Wentworth. See further details in obituary.

Joseph's second marriage, on 1 March 1883 at East Maitland, was to Edith Solomon.
MARRIAGE
At East Maitland, on 1st March, 1883, by the Rev. Mr. Tarrington, assisted by Canon Tyrrell, Joseph P. Abbott, of Sydney, to Edith, second daughter of the late James Solomon, of West Maitland.^[5] Their children were:^[2]

• Lydia Abbott (1884–1971)
• Blanche Edith Abbott (1885–1932)
• Eleanor Kingsmill Abbott (1887–1968)
• Joseph Palmer Abbott (1891–1965)

Joseph Palmer Abbott died on 15 September 1901 at his home in Turramurra, New South Wales. ^[6]
The Late Sir Joseph Palmer Abbott, K.C.M.G.
After an illness extending over many months, during which he had been gradually sinking, Sir Joseph Palmer Abbott, K.C.M.G., died at half-past 3 o'clock on Sunday afternoon at his residence, Turramurra. The immediate cause of his death was failure of the heart's action. Though his medical attendant, Dr. W. H. O'Neill, of Turra-murra, has been in close attendance upon the ex-Speaker lately, his condition has for many weeks been regarded as hopeless.
Sir Joseph Abbott was a "cornstalk,"' and for many years shared with Sir George Dibbs the distinction of being one of the tallest and most stalwart of Australian natives in public life. In every way he was a man of high standing. He was born at Muswellbrook on September 29, 1842. His father was the late John Kingsmill Abbott, one of the early free, settlers of Governor Bourke's time. He was the eldest son, and was educated in Sydney. In his youth he followed pastoral pursuits, but also found time to study law, being articled to his uncle, Mr. R. P. Abbott, and being admitted in 1864 as an attorney of the Supreme Court. Sir Joseph Abbott's political career commenced in 1880, when he was elected member for Gunnedah, and he continued his representation of that electorate until 1885, when he transferred his affections to the comfortable constituency of Wentworth. He remained member for the border district until the general election this year, when, owing to ill-health, he was not again a candidate. Several times Wentworth re-elected him without opposition. He was not long in Parliament before he took a prominent place, and three years after his entrance into the political arena he became a Minister of the Crown. In 1882 he took a leading part in defeating Sir John Robertson's Land Bill. There were few politicians who devoted more attention to land legislation and administration. Early in his career he was offered the position of chairman of the metropolitan stipendiary magistrates, but he declined the offer. Upon the defeat of the Parkes-Robertson Ministry, when Parliament, reassembled In January, 1883, Mr. J. P. Abbott was selected by the new Premier, Slr Alexander Stuart, as his Secretary for Mines, and he held that portfolio until October 6, 1885. Among his colleagues in that Administration were Sir George Dibbs, Mr. G. H. Reid, Mr. W. J. Trickett, the late Mr. W. B. Dalley, Mr. H. E. Cohen (now Mr. Justice Cohen), Mr. J. S. Parnell, Mr. Henry Copeland (now Agent-General), Mr. P. A. Wright, Dr. James Norton, M.L.C., and the late Sir Patrick Jennings. In the succeeding short-lived Dibbs Ministry Mr. Abbott took the congenial office of Minister for Lands. Subsequently he sat in Opposition with Mr. Dibbs, but found occasion to take up an independent position, and separated himself from the main body of protectionists, being looked upon as leader of the third party - that was before the days of the Labor party and before a fourth party in N.S.W. politics had been thought of. Mr. Abbott's party was known as the Independent and "Law and Order" party. In 1888 he was a member of the N.S.W. Commis-sion at the Melbourne Exhibition. On October 22, 1890, Mr. Abbott was elected Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, in succession to Mr. H. Young, who had then resigned. Four times subsequently he was re-elected to the highest ofllce in the gift of his fellow-members, viz., on July 14, 1891; August 7, 1894; August 13, 1895; and August 16, 1898. He occupied the Speakership for nine years and eight months, thus holding the office for a longer period than any of his predecessors, even exceeding the long term of the office enjoyed by Mr. Speaker Arnold, who "reigned" for nine years and four months. The roll of Speakers of the N.S.W. Legislative Assembly now contains nine names, those of Sir Daniel Cooper (whose term was three years and eight months), Sir Terence Aubrey Murray (two years and nine months), Sir John Hay (three years), Mr. W. M. Arnold (nine years and four months), Sir George Wigram Allen (seven years and eight months), Mr. Edmund. Barton (four years), Mr. J. H. Young (three years and seven months). Sir J. P. Abbott (nine years and eight months), and the present Speaker Mr. McCourt, who has occupied the chair now for nearly fourteen months. Those who know the N.S.W. Assembly intimately are aware that the duties of its presiding officer are often as onerous as they are responsible, and it was little wonder thar Mr. Abbott (who became Sir Joseph by being gazetted a K.C.M.G. in the Birthday honors of 1892), felt his health give way beneath the burden of his duties. During the third and fourth sessions of the late Parliament Sir Joseph was compelled to be frequently absent from the House, when the chair was taken by Mr. McCourt, who was then Chairman of Committees, as De-puty Speaker. Sir Joseph was a member of the nominated Federation Convention in 1891, and he was elected eighth on the poll, with 60,691 votes, at the election of delegates to the Federal Convention of 1891. He was one of the most enthusiastic of Federalists. In 1897 he was, it is understood, tentatively offered the position of Agent-General, but for personal reasons declined the office. As chairman of the Australian Mutual Provident Society Sir Joseph Abbott was well known throughout Australasia. As a Freemason he took a great interest in the craft, and after the death of Slr Robert Duff, the Governor, in 1895, he was installed as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of New South Wales, holding that office until 1899. Sir Joseph Abbott was a Fellow of St. Paul's College, Sydney University; a trustee of the Sydney Grammar School, and treasurer of The King School, Parramatta,^[7]

He was buried at Waverley Cemetery, Bronte, Waverley Council, New South Wales.^[8]

Probate
NRS-13660-5-192-Series 4_24223 | Joseph Palmer Abbott - Date of Death 15/09/1901, Place of residence Turramurra NSW^[9]

Sources

• Biography. https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/abbott-sir-joseph-palmer-2858

1. ↑ There are two NSW baptism/birth registration records, numbers 4089/1842 V18424089 45B and 4219/1842 V18424219 47, both with same details ABBOTT JOSEPH (Parents) JOHN and FRANCES A District JB [JB = Presbyterian Sydney, St Andrew's Scots Church] https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2} Sir Bernard Burke and Ashworth Peter Burke (1891). "Burke's Colonial Gentry", page 420. London: Harrison. Retrieved 18 January 2020 https://archive.org/details/genealogical02burk/page/420.
3. ↑ NSW marriage registration number 2789/1874 ABBOTT JOSEPH PALMER married MACARTNEY MATILDA ELIZABETH Registration District MAITLAND https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au
4. ↑ "Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842 - 1954), Saturday 27 December 1873, page 1 column 1 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/13329100?searchTerm=Abbott%20Macartney%20marriage#
5. ↑ "Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893), Tuesday 6 March 1883, page 1 column 1 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/868064?searchTerm=Edith%20Solomon#
6. ↑ NSW death registration number 11302/1901 ABBOTT JOSEPH P (Parents) JOHN K and FRANCES A [Registration] District ST LEONARDS https://familyhistory.bdm.nsw.gov.au
7. ↑ "Australian Town and Country Journal" (Sydney, NSW : 1870 - 1919), Saturday 21 September 1901, page 26 columns 1-3 https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/71472255?searchTerm=Sir%20Joseph%20Palmer%20Abbott#
8. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/206739675/joseph-palmer-abbott : accessed 23 September 2021), memorial page for Joseph Palmer Abbott (29 Sep 1842–15 Sep 1901), Find a Grave Memorial ID Find A Grave: Memorial #206739675, citing Waverley Cemetery, Bronte, Waverley Council, New South Wales, Australia ; Maintained by Lynette Turpin (contributor 49367970) No gravestone photograph
9. ↑ NSW State Archives Probate Packets https://search.records.nsw.gov.au/primo-explore/fulldisplay?docid=ADLIB_RNSW115503862&context=L&vid=61SRA&lang=en_US&search_scope=Everything&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=default_tab&query=any,contains,Joseph%20Palmer%20Abbott&facet=local1,include,NRS-13660%20Probate%20packets&offset=0

See also

• Bede Nairn, 'Abbott, Sir Joseph Palmer (1842–1901)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/abbott-sir-joseph-palmer-2858/text4069, published first in hardcopy 1969; accessed online 8 Sep 2022 https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/abbott-sir-joseph-palmer-2858/text4069
• Sir Joseph Palmer ABBOTT (1842 - 1901) from the Parliament of New South Wales website https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/members/Pages/profiles/abbott_joseph-palmer.aspx First accessed online on 23 Sep 2021].
• Joseph Palmer Abbott from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; first accessed online on 23 Sep 2021 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Palmer_Abbott